Italian battleship Vittorio Veneto

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Career (Italy)

Laid down:	28 October 1934
Launched:	25 July 1937
Commissioned:	28 April 1940
Struck:	1 February 1948
Status:	Scrapped
General Characteristics
Displacement:	43,624 tons standard, 45,752 tons full load
Length:	224.5–237.8 m
Beam:	32.9 m
Draught:	10.5 m
Propulsion:	8 boilers, 4 shafts, 140,000 hp
Speed:	31.45 knots (56 km/h)
Range:	3,920 miles at 20 knots
Complement:	1,830 (1,910 as flagship)
Armament:	3 × 3 381 mm / 50 caliber 4 × 3 155 mm / 55 caliber 12 × 90 mm / 50 caliber AA 20 × 37 mm / 50 caliber 30 × 20 mm / 65 caliber
Armour:	max 350 mm (vertical) 220 mm (horizontal)
Aircraft carried:	3

Vittorio Veneto was an Italian Vittorio Veneto class battleship, that served in the Regia Marina during the World War II. She was named after the Italian victory at Vittorio Veneto, during World War I.

1 Construction
2 Actions
3 External links

[edit] Construction

Vittorio Veneto's keel was laid in 1934 at Cantieri Riuniti dell'Adriatico, Trieste; she was launched on 25 July 1937, and her construction was completed in 1940, after Italy had entered in war against France and United Kingdom. After the war she was taken by the United Kingdom as war compensation, but was scrapped in 1948.

Vittorio Veneto was designed by general Umberto Pugliese, and was the first battleship which overran the limits of the Washington Treaty (35,000 tons of displacement). In 1942, Vittorio Veneto was the first Italian battleship to be equipped with a radar device, a "Gufo" E.C. 4.

[edit] Actions

Vittorio Veneto took part in the battle of Cape Teulada (27 November 1940), where her firepower (19 shells in 7 salvos from long range) caused the seven-cruiser British squadron to withdraw.

During 26 March–29 March 1941 mission, Vittorio Veneto participated in the dramatic events of the battle of Cape Matapan, fought off the Peloponnesus coast of Greece, where she was hit and obliged to return to Italy; the Italian fleet adopted an exceptional formation on five lines to protect the Vittorio Veneto, but an aircraft attack, and a subsequent night battle, caused the sinking of 3 heavy cruisers and 2 destroyers.

Vittorio Veneto during the battle of Cape Teulada

Vittorio Veneto also participated in battle of Mid-June in 1942.

During the war in the Mediterranean Sea, Vittorio Veneto took part in 56 war missions, eleven of which had as their mission the hunting of enemy ships.

Vittorio Veneto, after being hit by a torpedo during the battle of Cape Matapan.

1940

1 September: operation Hats;
29 September: operation MB 5;
11 November: Battle of Taranto;
27 November: Battle of Cape Spartivento or Battle of Cape Teulada;

1941

8 February: bombardment of Genoa;
27 March: battle of Cape Matapan. The commander of the ship was Capitano di Vascello Giuseppe Sparzani and the commander of the Italian fleet, flagship Vittorio Veneto, was Ammiraglio di Squadra Angelo Iachino;
28 March: battle off Cape Gaudo;
27 September: convoy Albert to Malta;
14 December: cancelled Italian convoys in the Mediterranean Sea;

1942

15 June: Vigorous convoy to Malta;

1943

9 September: surrender of the Italian fleet.

After the armistice of 8 September 1943, Vittorio Veneto was sent to Egypt, and was interned in the Great Bitter Lake, in the Suez Canal; a proposal to allow the battleship to fight side-by-side with the Allies in southern France and in the Pacific Ocean was dismissed because of political and operational considerations.

After the end of World War II, Vittorio Veneto was returned to Italy where she was dismantled.